Thursday, April 29, 2010

Just say the word bicycle and so many memories come to my mind. Mainly of my Granddaddy!

My Granddaddy lived in Crossett, Arkansas and worked as a watchman at The Crossett Company, which later became Georgia-Pacific. Granddaddy didn't own a car, his transportation was his bicycle. He rode it to and from work, which was the night shift! He paid all of his bills in person, yes riding his bike all over town. He bought groceries on his bike and carried them in his basket! He didn't buy many groceries because he had (and worked by himself) a garden that would feed many people. He gave fresh vegetables to all who came by. What he didn't give away he canned or put in his freezer.

This picture was made on granddaddy's 86th birthday. He barbecued a goat and had a wonderful party with many people in his backyard. He gave his bike a fresh coat of paint for the party (this year it was black)

This picture is of me getting a ride in the basket...I know I had so much fun and probably begged for more rides!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Full Moons are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia, insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic) and various "magical phenomena" such as lycanthropy. Psychologists, however, have found that there is no strong evidence for effects on human behavior around the time of a full moon........

Therefore it is just a coincidence that I didn't sleep last night....

I can only toss and turn for so many hours then I get up.....4:00 am today! I have cleaned the cooktop and filter, browsed cook books, had my limit of coffee, went outdoors and snapped a few pictures, boiled eggs for potato salad, made hubby ham and egg sandwich, blah, blah, blah; you get the picture!

Do you notice sleepless nights when moon is full?

Looks like today is going to be a beautiful day; now if I can only stay awake and enjoy it!!!

Monday, April 26, 2010

What is your favorite lettuce? I was raised on iceberg with french dressing! Maybe french dressing was the only one made back in the day....ha. Thousand Island came along and I loved it for years. I have since grown to love hearts of romaine, spring mix and baby spinach with any flavor of balsamic vinegar....yum, yum.

My husband is stuck in the iceberg generation...If I serve lettuce that has more color than iceberg he will not touch it!This picture is a very pretty head of lettuce but the ones I have been buying lately barely have a tint of green, ugh, I don't like it!

I will admit PF Changs makes very good use of leaves from iceberg....Oh the flavor...and I love to add all of the sauces....sweet, hot, spicy, yes!

So what's your combination? Don't you love to eat salad that someone else makes? They always seem to taste better.

OK, off to the kitchen. A friend gave us a breast from wild turkey, gonna try my hand at cooking it, wish me luck!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Thursday, April 22, 2010

When I was in high school (many, many years ago) The Pit was "The" place for a melt in your mouth cheeseburger! Just a small building with no seating, only a drive through window and parking in the rear. The menu consisted of hamburger basket, cheeseburger basket or chicken basket. Every basket was topped with a hand full of beautiful crispy fried onion rings. Your order was brought to you when ready or you could park and go in the back door and wait. I always went in and waited on my order because I love seeing the cook get the huge dishpan from the refrigerator that was filled with sliced onions and covered in buttermilk. She would reach in for a handful, put them in the big bowl of flour, shake them off and fry in hot, hot grease.....

Last night I just had to have onion rings..I sliced the onions early in the day and let them soak in buttermilk all day...

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

This picture was taken last year. Some days both of my feeders are covered with these beauties!

HummingbirdFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaWith the exception of insects, hummingbirds while in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings. Their heart rate can reach as high as 1,260 beats per minute, a rate once measured in a Blue-throated Hummingbird. They also consume more than their own weight in nectar each day, and to do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily. Hummingbirds are continuously hours away from starving to death, and are able to store just enough energy to survive overnight.

Hummingbirds are capable of slowing down their metabolism at night, or any other time food is not readily available. They enter a hibernation-like state known as torpor. During torpor, the heart rate and rate of breathing are both slowed dramatically (the heart rate to roughly 50–180 beats per minute), reducing the need for food.

Only white granulated sugar is proven safe to use in hummingbird feeders. A ratio of 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water is a common recipe. Boiling and then cooling this mixture before use has been recommended to help deter the growth of bacteria and yeasts. Powdered sugars contain corn starch as an anti-caking agent; this additive can contribute to premature fermentation of the solution. Brown, turbinado, and "raw" sugars contain iron, which can be deadly to hummingbirds if consumed over long periods. Honey is made by bees from the nectar of flowers, but it contains sugars that are less palatable to hummingbirds and promotes the growth of microorganisms that may be dangerous to their health.

If you don't have a hummingbird feeder, I urge you to get one. They are just so fascinating to watch.

Monday, April 19, 2010

The name is not important....the flavor is!!! I love the outer edges of the yolk to be barely set, with the center runny. Lots of salt and pepper....I can't believe I haven't been eating these all of my life. Why didn't someone tell me what I was missing? Sometimes the simplest things taste the best. Do you have any breakfast secrets to share? I'm all for new experiences, especially when my taste buds are involved......

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The days I spend with Sweetpea are so special. She looks at me and if she only knew what those eyes do to me.......

Yesterday was a busy day. We started out at Super Target, on to Tuesday Morning, quick trip in Steinmart, home for lunch and a nap, and ended up at the park!!

We had so much fun and Lila is a perfect shopping partner, she's all girl, loves every store and touching anything that goes in the buggy.

Today we are going to browse Central Market (such an experience, for me) and go to Half Price Books. This has become one of my favorite stores in Dallas. They have almost any book you want and HALF PRICE....can't beat it!

Currently we are waiting on the plumber to show up....I clogged the kitchen drain yesterday, putting potato peels in the garbage disposal...oops! Poor BM spent his entire evening with a drain snake and liquid plumber...didn't work though! Mother in laws....whatcha gonna do with em?

I hear my girl waking from her nap, so, see you all later....have a good day!

Monday, April 12, 2010

They appear overnight! They seem to like a freshly mown area!Can you remember how much fun they were to play with? Twirl around while holding at arms length to watch them....blow as hard as you could to empty the flower in one breath........

So dainty, so delicateHow can they grow so fast?Just as fast they are gone.....

Friday, April 9, 2010

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Friday! It is a beautiful day and only going to get better for the weekend. You know what that means at my house.....Projects, lots of projects/ha

Work on landscaping around the pool continues;

This job has been rather slow...due to rain every couple of days. Wait on the dirt to dry out and then the rain comes again. It is compacting the dirt and making it pretty difficult to spread, (or so I hear, I'm not into the shoveling aspect)

I can't wait until the planting takes place....any suggestions? I need and would appreciate any suggestions you have. I want color, varied heights, hardy plants for full sunlight!

We are also getting new steps off the breezeway tomorrow. We had boulders and rocks which was ok for awhile but really not safe.

The bluebirds are very busy with their project of building a nest today. Look how he waits patiently with one twig in his mouth! I can't imagine how many trips it will take him to ready the nest with only one blade of grass at a time. They are so beautiful! I just love bluebirds!

If you aren't busy this weekend, drop by, I have extra shovels and rakes, or you can be in charge of the weedeater while I mow......

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

I couldn't pass this fruit up as I cruised the frozen food section. It just was such a good blend; strawberry, mango, pineapple plus frozen yogurt pieces. This morning I got out my Magic Bullet, added 1/2 cup of 2% milk, 1/2 package fruit, and threw in a scoop of Jillian's protein powder for good measure and WOW.....very good smoothie!

The only drawback is the price of the fruit. It was approximately $1. per serving. I don't know if the yogurt pieces made the flavor, or just the fruit, because it was really good. I'm gonna check out the price of large bags of frozen mixed fruit and compare, cause I think I could get hooked on smoothies! (plus I'm going to have Jillian abs in no time)!!!

Monday, April 5, 2010

Shark Steam Mop, Where have you been all of my life? I love it when someone I know and trust recommends a new product to me. So is the case when my daughter, got her steam mop. Mom you will love it! She was oh so right, I have used it on all of my tile and hardwood floors. The tile feels so good and the hardwood is shining!! No more ringing out the stinky mop from the dirty water...ugh. Just throw the cover in the wash. With 4 covers I have one for every job... I may just mop again tomorrow/haWell I might!With all of the yellow pollen we have in the air I will probably need to. I love leaving the windows up in the spring but oh gosh that yellow stuff is everywhere.....

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Was I excited when I opened the mailbox? YesDid I rip the package open? Yes

I inhaled the first peep......OK I inhaled the second peep.....the third one, I actually chewed.....the fourth one...I savored the texture and the fresh, soft marshmallow....oh my.....memories overwhelmed me....I'm a child and my mother and I shared peeps.....My girls thought peeps were disgusting so I eventually stopped buying them.....

Move ahead many, many years....I found the great world of blogging and wouldn't take anything for the friendships I have made the past year....My friend Linda of lindanjakemade my day with her kindness. If you don't know Linda please take the time to visit her blog and get to know this sweet lady.

Off to have more peeps.....can't believe people don't love them.......

About Me

Mother of two beautiful daughters, grandmother of two granddaughters and two grandsons. I love life and look forward to each new day.
I love to travel and see the world, OR sit in my chair in the sun and read a good book!
Life is truly good!